The invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a method and system for retracting welding wire in a welding system.
Welding is a process that has become increasingly ubiquitous in various industries and applications. Such processes may be automated in certain contexts, although a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. In both cases, such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure that the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at the desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on a wire feeder to enable a welding wire to reach a welding torch, the wire being continuously fed during welding to provide filler metal and to ensure that arc heating is available to melt the filler metal and the underlying base metal.
In MIG welding applications, the wire feeder typically provides a continuous feed of welding wire so long as a trigger is actuated by the welding operator. Unfortunately, quite commonly more welding wire than desired may be provided to the welding torch causing the welding wire to extend too far out of the torch, such as if the trigger is depressed when no arc is ongoing. Thus, in such conditions, the welding wire is often cut to the desired length by the operator, using a wire cutting tool, or the welding wire is burned off on a non-essential area of a workpiece (or weldment), leaving a “whisker” or wire extending out of the workpiece. Therefore, welding wire may be wasted and welding efficiency may decrease due to the time needed to cut the welding wire. There is a need in the field for techniques that might provide alternatives to cutting excess welding wire when too much welding wire extends out of a welding torch.